How to make chilli con carne

Discover our recipe for the best chilli con carne. As well as a few secret ingredients, this one-pot Mexican classic uses generous chunks of beef.

Mexican by name but Texan in origin, the literal translation of chilli con carne (‘chillies and meat’) describes the recipe at its most basic. After that, depending on whether it’s a smoky cowboy chilli, a student storecupboard concoction or a Mexican mole, the recipes differ.

We’ve developed the ultimate next-level chilli con carne recipe and along the way found 10 easy ways to elevate this classic one-pot to a whole new level. The recipe has quite a few ingredients, but make it a couple of times and you’ll be able to tweak it to fit your requirements perfectly.

10 ways to take chilli con carne to the next level

1. Cook it in one pot only2. Make it ahead by up to three days3. Use fresh spices4. Source traditional Mexican dried chillies5. Use a marbled cut of beef (not mince!)6. Add coffee for extra flavour 7. Choose your beans8. Use chocolate9. Thicken the sauce10. Serve homemade chilli oil on the side

1. Make chilli in one pot only

Just like a cowboy cooking over the campfire embers we’ve kept it to one pan. This saves on washing up and locks in all the flavours.

2. How to get ahead

With deep, slow-cooked spiced dishes like this, the flavours become more harmonious when made ahead and reheated. This can be made up to three days ahead, chilled and reheated.

3. Use fresh spices for chilli con carne

Buying fresh whole spices and toasting and grinding them yourself cranks up their flavour and fragrance.

4. Which chillies to use for chilli con carne

Using dried Mexican chillies brings warmth and smokiness. Different chillies have different flavour profiles and heat ratings. Here, we’ve used the ancho as it’s the best all-rounder with a fruity flavour and is the easiest to buy, but dried chipotle also works well in slow-cooked recipes. Traditionally the chillies are toasted and rehydrated before using but we’ve used the chilli to its full flavour capacity by rehydrating it in the sauce and then turning it into a no-waste condiment at the end.

5. What meat to use for chilli con carne

Mince might be what you grew up with but large chunks of beef make for a better braise and transform the dish from a weeknight student supper. Buy the best quality you can afford, try a nicely marbled cut like brisket or the meat from the short rib – the fat that renders off as it braises adds to the richness of the finished sauce.

6. Use coffee in your chilli

Good quality coffee is often used in Texan chillies because it adds a big roasted flavour. Our recipe includes half a teaspoon of instant expresso powder.

7. Which beans to use in chilli con carne

Life’s often too short to cook beans from scratch so we opt for canned every time. We’ve used kidney beans but not too many of them. You can easily add more, or if you prefer, swap them for black beans. If you would rather no beans at all just leave them out.

8. The secret ingredient for chilli – chocolate

Dark chocolate adds a touch of bitterness and a depth of flavour to the sauce. We use 25g containing 70-80% cocoa solids.

9. How to thicken the sauce

The Mexican method of thickening involves whisking masa harina - finely milled cornmeal - into the dish and simmering for a couple of minutes. If you can't get a hold of that, you can use semolina flour or polenta flour.

10. What to serve with chilli con carne

As an optional extra, tip the chillies into a mini chopper with a splash more oil and blitz to make a chilli oil paste to have on the side.

If you loved this but need a quicker route to success, try making our classicchilli con carne – one of Good Food's most popular recipes!

Be the first to ask a question about this recipe...Unsure about the cooking time or want to swap an ingredient? Ask us your questions and we’ll try and help you as soon as possible. Or if you want to offer a solution to another user’s question, feel free to get involved...

Reader offer: AO.com

Ads by Google

Skills & know how

As well as helping you decide what to cook we can also help you to cook it. From tips on cookery techniques to facts and information about health and nutrition, we’ve a wealth of foodie know how for you to explore.

About BBC Good Food

We’re all about good recipes, and about quality home cooking that everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re looking for some healthy inspiration or learning how to cook a decadent dessert, we’ve trustworthy guidance for all your foodie needs.

Our recipes

All our recipes are tested thoroughly by us to make sure they’re suitable for your kitchen at home. We know many of you are concerned about healthy eating, so we send them to a qualified nutritionist for thorough analysis too.

This website is made by BBC Worldwide.

BBC Worldwide is a commercial company that is owned by the BBC (and just the BBC). No money from the licence fee was used to create this page. The profits we make from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great new BBC programmes.